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CEDAR RAPIDS — At a Cedar Rapids church, the 125-year-old hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing” became a political touchstone Saturday as three Democratic candidates for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat each reflected on a stanza of the song — using its lessons of perseverance, unity and justice to connect with voters ahead of the 2026 election.

The hymn, widely referred to as the “Black national anthem,” has been a powerful symbol of African American culture, resilience and the fight for civil rights. The NAACP adopted it as its national anthem in 1919.

The forum — hosted by US Iowa in partnership with the Iowa Democratic Black Caucus — featured Josh Turek, Zach Wahls and Nathan Sage, three Democra

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